Ask a Writer: Ro Lamb
"Writing has always been my safe space. because when I am writing, there are no rules except for the ones I make — I can do anything."
Meet Ro Lamb, poet, fellow avid reader, writer for Medium online, and author of Shattered Theories of I, a beautiful and rich book of poems that help mirror the most intimate aspects of real life .
Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, but born in Richmond Virginia, Ro writes full time and is a stay at home dad. When he's not reading, writing, or watching or playing basketball, you can find him hanging out at the coffee shop with his friends in his free time.
When asked what Ro's personal goal is, his response was "to write and tell stories for the rest of my life".
Here's what else Ro had to say:
When did you decide you wanted to write? And Why?
Words have always been a love of mine. I learned to read when I was 3 years old. Comic books, novels, encyclopedias, dictionaries. If I could read it, it was my best friend.
I wrote a lot short fantasy stories when I was a child, and kept notebooks full of characters I created. When I was 17, I was introduced to poetry and fell in love.
Writing has always been my safe space because when I am writing there are no rules except for the ones I make — I can do anything.
What inspired you to write Shattered, and what message did you want to send to the world?
I wrote Shattered in the midst of major change. I was changing spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and it was causing my life, as whole, to change.
The book is a record of my world told from my skewed — shattered — vantage point. I want people to know their perspective is valid. And we should be aware our perspective is only a piece of the whole. So we should honor how we feel about what we see but also remember what we see isn’t a complete picture.
Can you think back to the first time you fell in love with literature? What was your entry point?
As I said, reading and writing have always been with me. But the time I fell in love is vivid for me.
I grew up reading Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Tom Clancy, etc. mysteries and espionage and thrillers mostly.
One of my mentors took me to see Lord of the Rings when it came out in theaters. And then she told me it was based on a novel!
And I remember going to the bookstore, discovering the science fiction/fantasy section and thinking, “how has this been here the entire time?”
And that was that.
Who is your favorite writer?
That is a tough one. Can I give you two?
I am going to give you two! Lol
My favorite novelist is Brandon Sanderson. My favorite poet is Nikki Giovanni.
Why does representation in writing and art matter to you?
I don’t think we know how powerful representation is until we experience it.
I love comic books. Superman, Batman, Spiderman, Wolverine. I love them all. But I didn't realize I started to believe superheroes could only look like them.
Now, it's so beautiful and inspiring to see myself on TV shows and movies, on book covers and in comic books! Every time I see a brown skinned man or woman being heroes I am reminded I can be powerful as well!
It is about communicating what is possible — what is expected. Representation reinforces who we are and who we can be — this can work for us or against us!
What are your top 5 favorite books?
1. The 4 Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
2. The Power of Now + A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
3. The Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson
4. Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
5. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
When can we expect the next book?!
I recently signed a deal with Jack Wild Publishing to republish a remastered version of Shattered. That should be happening soon! I'll let you know!
I am working on a new poetry book and an Epic Fantasy novel! I am not sure about the novel but hopefully the poetry book will be ready by December!
How do you hope to leave your mark on the world?
I hope to inspire people to connect with the present so that together we can leave the world a little better than we found it.
Lastly, how can people find you/ get in touch with you?
(IG, Twitter handle, email, website, etc)
You can find me on:
Twitter at @byrolamb
Instagram at @rolamb
Website: www.rolamb.com
My email is therolamb@gmail.com.
I also write on Medium as Ro Lamb!